Zambian is most expensive women's footballer in history after $860,000 transfer record
Zambian footballer Racheal Kundananji has broken the world transfer record as the most expensive women's footballer in history.
The 23-year-old striker for the Zambian Women’s team broke the record to become the first African footballer in both male and female divisions to hold the world transfer record as the most expensive transfer in history when she signed a contract to join American football club Bay FC from Spanish side Madrid CFF.
Kundananji’s $860,000 transfer move overtook English midfielder Keira Walsh as the most expensive women’s footballer in history after her £400,000 switch from English side Manchester City to Spanish side Barcelona in 2022, BBC reports.
"People in Zambia will be surprised but they will be so happy… I want to give the Bay FC fans what they want - to enjoy the games, to enjoy seeing me playing and scoring," the Zambian footballer told BBC.
“We are delighted to add Racheal to our group. She is a tremendous talent with dynamic attacking qualities and an incredible physical profile who has produced for both club and country. Racheal has composure in front of goal and a natural ability to score with different types of finishes and from various locations. We believe she will continue to grow and develop at our club, showcasing her skillset and adding to the array of exciting attacking talent we have here,” Bay FC General Manager Lucy Rushton said in a press release.
The forward, who netted 33 goals for Madrid CFF in 43 Liga F matches, signed a four-year deal with the American team that runs through the 2027 season with an option for the 2028 season.
Kundananji competes for Zambia internationally, representing her country in the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics and the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup in Australia.
At the age of 18, Kundananji secured her first professional contract overseas with BIIK Kazygurt in Kazakhstan before moving to Europe. In 2019 and 2020, she contributed to the team's back-to-back league championships. Kundananji participated in the Copperbelt Women's League in Zambia in 2018 for the Ideni Roses, where she scored 21 goals in 18 games to help the team win the league.
The Zambian record holder joins Nigeria striker and six-time African Women’s Footballer of the Year Asisat Oshoala. Oshoala joined the club after an impressive stint with the Spanish side Barcelona Women.
Bay Football Club is an American professional women's soccer team based in the San Francisco Bay Area of California.
The club was founded less than a year ago in April 2023 and is expected to make their National Women's Soccer League debut as an expansion team in the 2024 season.
